Cataloging happiness

March 5, 2013October 13, 2017

Lesson 18: Purpose

When we want to accomplish things, we tend to forget about why we’re doing things. We just sense we have to do them. The most common example I can give you without losing you all, as I blabber on, is this statement/declaration:

I need to be a millionaire.

It’s so easy to want wealth. So easy, especially in the age we live in. But asking ourselves why we want to be millionaires feels almost like a rugby tackle compared to our brash statements of wants. It becomes a bit more difficult to answer why you want things when you’re made to explain your answer.

Is it because we want to be free of debt? If so, then, do we need an excess of a million? (and quite frankly, that’s not that much nowadays). Or is it more fickle and vain? Do you want the wealth so you can spend on anything you set your sights on? If so, is that enough, is that your purpose of being here?

Are you seeking more time, and you feel you’ll find that with more zeros at the end of that pay check? I can say now, from experience, that money will not give you more time. I guarantee you, it wont. It may give you the freedom to do what you want, when you want, but it definitely wont add more seconds.

Purpose is more than a prerequisite of success. I believe it’s a prerequisite for living happily.

I’ve expressed my want for millions more than once. When I was younger that was my goal. I was money hungry just for the sake of it. At the time I just wanted to relish in the idea that I was a self made millionaire. It was, and sort of still is, a pride thing.

With age, I realised that simply wanting it wasn’t enough. There had to be something more than that and I sort of knew that. I learnt this lesson from two unrelated men: My dad and my friend, Chris.

My dad was and is a self made successful man. I’ve always wanted to know what was this quick fix success brew he had going on. I wanted a sip from the success juice. I wanted to know why and how he did what he does so effortlessly. When I grew up a little, I realised he repeated it practically everyday. Everyday. Everything he created was for his family. For us. There wasn’t a secret handshake to get into the success club. Entry fee was free and the door was open.

Chris: he was the second to remind me why I needed purpose. He is my hard work-grinder-partner in crime. When I get lazy, Chris is the guy to call. My very own motivational speaker. During our very amusing rants and pick-me-up phone calls and Google Hangout sessions, I would always express my want for millions. Midway through one of our conversations Chris stopped me for a second to ask me: “Why a million? Why not £500,000? Why not £1bn?”.

I didn’t have a great answer, both Chris and I could sense that.

So, that was a chink in my armour and I had to fix it. A little later, I decided I wanted it because I didn’t want to stress about money. That was true to an extent but it wasn’t the whole truth. Later, I wanted to make sure my family could live happy lives and spend time on what was important to them, stress-free. I was a little closer to the truth but it wasn’t everything.

Now it’s so apparent, I laugh at younger me. I don’t have an amount anymore. I could make 1 million, I could make 50. What’s important to me, more than anything I’ve ever wanted, is my need to write.

I don’t want to do anything else. I want to be happy. I want those I love to be happy, always.

Since learning my purpose for all of this, why I write on the MicroRead, why I write my novel, why I freelance; everything has become so much easier. My hard work, my perseverance, my happiness, my creativity have all doubled since I figured out why I’m here.